The next day, Doyoon came to work as usual.

(Doyoon): “Morning.”

(Minseo): “Morning.”

That was all.

No messages. They didn't run into each other at lunch. Their leaving times were similar, but Doyoon left first.

Minseo watched him walk away over the top of her monitor.

The number above his head was

74.

The next day:

72

Minseo kept checking.

It was going down.

Because I didn't answer, obviously.

But approaching him first felt awkward too.

She had created the awkwardness herself.

A few days later, Minseo and Doyoon ended up alone in the elevator.

(Doyoon): “What floor?”

(Minseo): “First.”

Doyoon pressed the button.

Out of habit, Minseo looked above his head.

Then blinked.

Nothing.

She looked again.

Nothing.

And it wasn't only Doyoon.

A male employee who walked past after they stepped out of the elevator. Nothing.

A man in the lobby. Nothing.

Men on the street.

Nothing at all.

The numbers

were gone.

For days, Minseo kept checking. On her commute. At work.

At lunch.

Nothing appeared.

The absence felt stranger than the numbers ever had.

Especially with Doyoon.

The last number she'd seen was 72. No—before that, it had reached 78.

What was it now?

Maybe it had fallen back to 3. Maybe it was 0.

There was no way to know.

Doyoon became quiet around her again, like before. They only talked about work. They no longer walked to the station together.

And the more distant he became, the more Minseo thought about him.

Weekend.

Minseo woke late, ordered delivery, lay on the sofa, and turned on a drama.

It wasn't interesting.

She checked her phone.

She opened the last chat with Doyoon.

There was nothing important in it.

Meetings. Coffee. Walking home.

Minseo scrolled up and down.

I want to talk to him.

On this boring weekend, the only person she wanted to see was Doyoon.

She opened the chat window and typed:

[Minseo: Are you free after work Monday?]

Her finger hovered over send for a long time.

Her heart beat faster.

In the past, she would have erased it.

What if reaching out first made things awkward? What if Doyoon's feelings had already cooled?

But this time,

she sent it.

Sent.

Minseo turned her phone facedown.

Ten seconds. Twenty.

She picked it up again.

Read.

Then a reply appeared.

[Doyoon: Yes. I am.]

Minseo stared at the short sentence for a long time.

There was no number.

She didn't know how much Doyoon liked her.

But this time,

she decided to read the number in her own heart first.